Australia

This was a big year for me — both personally and professionally. Revisit the stops and relive the journey of 2016… Solo Trip to Sydney, Australia I kicked off 2016 with a solo trip to Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Having been to Australia twice before, I knew it was safe. Sufjan Stevens…

Excuse me while I go a bit fangirl in this space. Only, going “a bit” fangirl is an oxymoron, isn’t it? Well, maybe not — it’s not like I loitered behind the theatre after the show; I didn’t try to steal the setlist from the still-reverberating stage. When Sufjan Stevens finished his angelic performance, I simply thanked the music gods…

Bondi to Coogee Walk is a must-do in Sydney. I only made it to Tamarama Beach, 15 minutes from Bondi, because I was spellbound by the views. This free path is popular with runners, photographers, and dog walkers for good reason. Every turn is more beautiful than the last with intricate rock formations, technicolor waters, and fresh…

I hate to sound ungrateful. Complaining about a visual feast like the Whitsundays in Australia is criminal, I know. Make no mistake, I love the unreal turquoise water, the architecture of the Great Barrier Reef, and those vanilla swirls that make up Whitsunday Inlet, but John Mayer is playing and people are actually enjoying it. It’s…

You know those Booking.com commercials where the weary travelers check-in to their hotels and are elated? That’s how I felt arriving near midnight in Sydney at Finger Wharf Woolloomooloo. Getting from Guam to anywhere besides a handful of Asian cities is a long process. I often arrive in a new city under the cover of night,…

It’s perfectly safe for solo travel, easy to navigate, and incredibly clean. Whether you visit Sydney for food, architecture, or arts, only a miser would refuse to be charmed. I’ve never met a traveler who gave Sydney a bad review. That being said, if you are American, check the exchange rate because Australia ain’t cheap. During…

…Shaggy-haired blondes hauling surfboards, athletic trios of twentysomethings in sports bras and spandex, and barefoot dudes in board shorts. At sunrise, Sydney’s Bondi Beach is filling up with beachcombers, surfers, and photographers. Swimmers cut through the water in the pool at Bondi Icebergs, seemingly oblivious to the waves bursting over the side. It is one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen (and I…

Blame it on Instagram, but when I saw a pic of Whitsundays Inlet, I knew I had to see it in person. So, I decided to take my third trip to the land Down Under. I based myself in Sydney because I have simply never heard a bad review of Australia’s most cosmopolitan city. I fell…

I didn’t visit every destination on my 2015 bucket list this year, but that’s just fine. I’m more interested in quality travel than in quantity. This is perhaps why I don’t travel full-time. I grounded myself for six months (!) to work on my first documentary film. I’m glad to report I’m almost done… And…

Cairns is nothing if not an adventure sport destination. I love adventure travel so I was more than ready to white water raft for my first time ever back in February. If you have no aversion to looking like a deranged Teletubby for an adventure sport, then don a GoPro-mounted helmet and go white water rafting….

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Jessica Peterson is a travel filmmaker, photographer, and journalist. She released her first documentary film about indigenous culture on Guam in 2016, after having lived nearly 7 years on the Pacific island. Jessica is currently on the Great American Roadtrip in her Airstream trailer. Learn more...

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